Is Recession Preparing a New Breed of Survivalist? [Survival Today

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/clay56.html

Grow open pollinated seeds
for self-reliant gardening

By Jackie Clay<<<

Jackie Clay is good and I see people linking to her all over the web.

With the millions of seeds that are now saved, why is it that simple trading is not going on a large scale?

40 years ago, I was a fan of Pen Pal magazines, if your letter was published, you got all kinds of answers from all kinds of people.

We often traded seeds, stamps, post cards, books, etc.

It was wonderful, I wrote to one lady in Australia for about 20 years, then we both moved at the same time and lost contact.

Ceylon and Canada were on my pen pal lists and a lovely lady in Maine, who I swapped post cards with.

Some we only talked with and did not swap things, one woman a Navy wife, had only one day difference in our birth dates.

Are we so into the electronic age that it is really too much trouble to mail an envelope?

A cold and windy day, so not able to buckle down to much serious stuff....LOL, or that is my excuse today.

5,401 posted on 03/22/2009 5:07:40 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)

To: nw_arizona_granny; All

Placemark (5200-5400) BUMP! Thanks to all.

5,402 posted on 03/22/2009 5:13:20 PM PDT by PGalt

To: TenthAmendmentChampion

“I’m not afraid,” Mr. Etheredge says, gazing at the young men who invaded his land. “I’ve told these guys, ‘If you come into my house, I will kill you.’”

He speaks of guns and death with the nonchalance of someone who has seen violence around him for years. “I killed a person in my house last March,” he says, and shrugs.<<<

I fear for the same here, the steam and words are creeping into the public’s ear.

I have followed these reports for several years and they are as ugly and bloody as any story ever told.

LOL, speaking of farms, Ms. obama and the White House Organic garden, I ran across the original petition and it reads about word for word, what the Ms. said to the press.

I had forgotten the words of the petition, but it does call for an Organic garden and it does call for a part of the food to go to the local food banks.......

It is on the site that I am posting all the posts from, earlier it was on the home page still:

http://www.sharingsustainablesolutions.org/?cat=115&paged=2

5,403 posted on 03/22/2009 5:14:13 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)

Welcome and good to see that you are keeping up with the posts.

I am not posting enough, if folks are keeping up with me, LOL.

Join in,if you would like to, it is an excellent group here, for questions and answers.

5,404 posted on 03/22/2009 5:17:02 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)

Placemark (5200-5400) BUMP! Thanks to all.<<<

All of us thank you for coming to read.

Stay safe.

5,405 posted on 03/22/2009 5:19:08 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)

Onion for Fevers and Cornstarch for Rashes

Posted By auke On March 15, 2009 @ 12:02 am In Folklore | No Comments

My mother’s grandmother used to use an onion, sliced in half, for fevers. She would tie it on the foot of whoever had a fever and have them sleep with it there. My grandmother used to use cornstarch for rashes. You all may know these remedies already, but I thought maybe the tips would help someone. ; ) -April

Article printed from Sharing Sustainable Solutions: http://www.sharingsustainablesolutions.org

URL to article: http://www.sharingsustainablesolutions.org/?p=211

5,406 posted on 03/22/2009 5:23:25 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)

Herbal Medicines: Urinary Tract Infections

Posted By auke On March 15, 2009 @ 12:03 am In Folklore |

Here’s a collection of herbal home cures for urinary tract infections beyond the drinking of cranberry juice that most of us are aware of.

1. D. C. wrote: Urinary tract infection cure: corn silk tea & calcium tablets.
Get some corn silks ( I take them right off an ear of corn). Dry in low oven
or in sun and make a cup of tea with a handful of the dried silks. Drink a
glass every half hour to hour and take warm baths with baking soda. If you
can’t find corn silk, ask the pharmacist for a remedy. They have over the
counter remedies for that “gotta go” feeling. I used the corn silk and it
does work well. Cured a bad infection that antibiotics would not. Also take
a bunch of calcium tablets every hour and don’t drink anything acidic. You want
to keep your urine alkaline as an acidic urine will make the pain terrible.
(Learned this from a urologist)

2. 2. C. S. wrote: Urinary tract infection cure: lemon juice. I have had great
success with lemon juice. Just pour about 2 tablespoons into a large glass
of warm (not hot) water. Drink it down and keep drinking more every half
hour or so. It doesn’t take long to work. After the symptoms go away,
continue to drink this at least once or twice a day for a few days. Let me
know if it works for you.

3. 3. D. wrote: Urinary tract infection cure: Caprillic acid. We contacted, through
a friend, a nutritional/herbalist in Texas and she recommended Caprillic Acid.
Boy, does it work. You can’t run and get this at WalMart, I think you have
to get it from health and nutrition stores or catalogs etc., but it is the
one thing I keep in my house along with cranberry and distilled water (which
helps draw out infection).

4. 4. M. wrote: Urinary tract infection cure: Apple cider vinegar/Marshmallow
& Cornsilk tea/Golden Seal Root. I have had some experience with urinary tract
infection. I found that by drinking copious amounts of apple cider vinegar
in distilled water during the day helped tremendously. (I drink 8 glasses a
day…1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar to 8 oz water) Marshmallow tea or
cornsilk tea are good. Golden Seal Root is good except it should not be
taken if pregnant or nursing. If you have frequent infections, avoid tampons
and nylon underwear. Avoid coffee, sodas and alcohol and try a low-protein
diet for a few days. Also avoid dairy products except those that are soured.
You probably already knew all of this, but if not…I hope it helps.

Article printed from Sharing Sustainable Solutions: http://www.sharingsustainablesolutions.org

URL to article: http://www.sharingsustainablesolutions.org/?p=213

5,407 posted on 03/22/2009 5:27:41 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)

Onion Tea/Soup: Good Medicine!

Posted By auke On March 15, 2009 @ 12:03 am In Folklore | No Comments

asked in the Self Reliance Q&A Forum

Make a tea of fresh or dried sage for sore throat or laryngitis. Sage is also an anti microbial. Find onions high in sulpher- you know the kind that make you cry if you even think about cutting them. No weenie Walla Wallas or Vidalias. Chop, barely cover with water equal parts sugar and cook, slow heat until a syrup. Strain out onions and put in jar. You’ve created a primitive sulpher drug and of course, sugar is also anti microbial.

– ML (mls@yahoo.com), August 08, 1998

Answers

Your tea sounds interesting. You put equal parts of sugar and water? Isn’t this awful sweet? How much of this do you drink? What about the sage - how do you make it into a tea? Sorry so many questions, I’ve done anything like this before.

– dw (sdenisew@hotmail.com), January 03, 1999.

Yes, it’s about as sweet as say, cough syrup. Teas: you can make tea out of any herb…you can either use an old fashion “tea ball” and put the herb (powdered) inside and steep in hot water, or, you can add a tsp to boiling water, steep and drain through a strainer.

– ML (mls@yahoo.com), January 04, 1999.

Article printed from Sharing Sustainable Solutions: http://www.sharingsustainablesolutions.org

URL to article: http://www.sharingsustainablesolutions.org/?p=215

5,408 posted on 03/22/2009 5:29:36 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)

http://safs.ucdavis.edu/newsletter/v06n1/page1.htm

Managing the soil food web in legume-vegetable rotations
by Howard Ferris, Louise E. Jackson, Hideomi Minoshima, Jeffrey P. Mitchell, Sara Sanchez Moreno, Kate M. Scow, Steven R. Temple

These SAFS project researchers study the changes in soil biology that occur as a result of farming practices. Achieving a functioning soil community following a history of conventional agricultural practices may require a prolonged transition. Here researchers describe the importance of soil food webs in alternative farming systems and explore some approaches to enhancing their activity.
Introduction – Structure, Functions and Importance of Soil Food Webs

The ecological functions of soil food
* webs include: Decomposition of organic matter
* Cycling of minerals and nutrients
* Reservoirs of minerals and nutrients
* Redistribution of minerals and nutrients
* Sequestration of carbon
* Degradation of pollutants, pesticides
* Modification of soil structure
* Biological regulation of pest species

The soil food web is that community of organisms that utilize one another, either by predation or consumption of dead bodies, as sources of carbon and energy. The activities of soil organisms result in ecological functions essential to crop production and soil fertility (see box). By consuming, digesting, assimilating, and metabolizing the bodies of their food sources, organisms convert complex organic molecules into forms suitable for their own structural and metabolic needs. Materials indigestible to the consumer are eliminated in simpler forms that are more accessible to other organisms. Some of the molecules that are digested may be in excess of the consumer’s needs and are excreted in mineral forms that are readily available to plants and to other soil organisms. Molecules taken up by bacteria and passed on to their consumers are considered to be in the “bacterial decomposition channel” (Fig. 1). Many of the organisms in this channel are metabolically very active and molecules pass through the bacterial channel rapidly. Materials decomposed and digested by fungi are often more complex and their flow through the “fungal decomposition channel (Fig. 2)” may be slower.

continues.

5,409 posted on 03/22/2009 6:17:27 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)

To: nw_arizona_granny

I am glad to see she is doing an organic garden, it’s a good example. Perhaps some city people will follow her lead and make their own gardens. It can only be good for folks to grow their own food.

5,410 posted on 03/22/2009 6:23:58 PM PDT by TenthAmendmentChampion (Be prepared for tough times. FReepmail me to learn about our survival thread!)

http://209.85.173.132/search?q=cache:IsCuHXBYTMwJ:attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/sweetcorn.pdf+vegetable/biointensive_insect_management&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk

{A snippet, from an almost a book article on growing Organic Corn...granny}

Won’t copy, see page 7 for corn earworm ...

5,411 posted on 03/22/2009 6:28:08 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)

http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/ccrop/

* • Funded Projects
o Funding Opportunities / Requests For Proposals
o Projects Database
o SAREP Competitive Grants Announcements
o Project Reports
o Publications Resulting from SAREP Grants
* • Funding Opportunities
*

Resources

* • Cover Crops
* • PestCast
* • Soil Quality

UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program
Home Calendar Search Contact Us
UC SAREP Cover Crop Resource Page

* List all crops in the Cover Crops Database

* Search the Cover Crop Database

Cover Crop Slide Shows (requires Acrobat Reader)

* Cover Cropping in Orchards and Vineyards (2.7 Mb)
photo credits for orchard/vineyard slides

* Cover Cropping in Row and Field Crop Systems (2.0 Mb)
photo credits for row/field crop slides

Image: Cover Crops

The UC SAREP Cover Crop Database

The UC SAREP Cover Crop Database includes over 5,000 items gleaned from more than 600 separate sources, including journal articles, conference proceedings, standard textbooks, unpublished data, and personal communications from researchers and farmers. The information in the database concerns the management and effects of more than 32 species of plants usable as cover crops. More than 400 different cover crop images are also available for viewing online. The database was developed with funding from USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program (SARE), the State of California’s Water Resources Control Board, and the California Energy Commission.

The information presented here comes from diverse sources, which may vary in reliability. Some data are based on greenhouse studies, which may give different results than the field. Others are based on limited field observations, sometimes only one year and one location. Still others are based on personal observations, and are noted as such. For details, see the original articles (cited in the data base) that discuss the cover crop in which you are interested. We will update the database as more data become available from ongoing research.

A lot of info on this page and in its links on cover cropping...

5,412 posted on 03/22/2009 7:02:13 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)

http://www.newsdesk.umd.edu/uniini/release.cfm?ArticleID=1845

March 20, 2009
Contacts: David Ottalini, 301 405 4076 or dottalin@umd.edu
Maryland’s Grow It - Eat It Campaign Kicks Off

Grow It Eat It Campaign - University of Maryland

WHAT:
University of Maryland Cooperative Extension’s “Grow It Eat it” Campaign Kick-Off

WHEN:
Friday, March 27, 2005, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

WHERE:
Master Peace Community Garden, a half-acre urban farm, youth garden, and community garden operated by the University of Maryland Cooperative Extension Engaged University program at 2600 Sheridan Street, Riverdale, MD

BACKGROUND:
The University of Maryland Cooperative Extension (MCE) invites you to the kick-off of a new campaign designed to help Marylanders improve their health and save money by growing fresh vegetables, fruits, and herbs using sustainable practices.

Called Grow It Eat It, this initiative was developed - and will be implemented - by MCE’s Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC) and the Maryland Master Gardener program. Trained Master Gardeners will teach basic food gardening classes to the public, and HGIC horticulture consultants will answer food gardening questions via a toll-free hotline (1-800-342-2507) and e-mail Q&A service. A dynamic, interactive new Grow It Eat It website (and blog will provide a wealth of information and resources for residents across the state and around the globe.

The program’s vision is to see 1 million Maryland food gardeners producing their own affordable, healthy food - much like previous generations did in their wartime and Depression-era Victory Gardens.

Please join Dr. Cheng-I Wei, dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Maryland faculty, and Master Gardener volunteers for the kick-off of this exciting program!

There will be hands-on demonstrations of vegetable gardening tools and techniques, including the University of Maryland salad table. You’ll also tour the Master Peace Community Garden, receive free seeds, and learn how to convert a part of your lawn into a food garden (like Michelle Obama is doing at the White House).

If you plan to attend - please contact Ria Malloy at 410.531.5556; mmalloy@umd.edu

Jon Traunfeld, Director of MCE’s Home and Garden Information Center, will be featured on the Martha Stewart Show on Thursday, March 26 on WBAL TV(Baltimore area) and WJLA (Washington D.C. area), demonstrating how to build and use the University of Maryland Salad Table. Check local TV listings.

MEDIA:
Media coverage is welcome.

CONTACT:
For more information, please contact Ria Malloy (above) for more information.

5,413 posted on 03/22/2009 7:06:58 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)

To: TenthAmendmentChampion

LOL, she had no choice, the petition called for an organic garden.

Can you imagine the liberals reaction, if it were not an organic garden?

5,414 posted on 03/22/2009 7:11:28 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)

http://www.sare.org/publications/dairyresource.htm

The Small Dairy Resource Book
Published 2000, 56 pages | Available Online Only
Format: Out of Print | Online PDF (991 k)

Intended for family farmers who want to produce value-added dairy products, The Small Dairy Resource Book evaluates books, periodicals, videos and other materials on farmstead dairy processing in a thorough, annotated bibliography. Extension agents and other agricultural educators also will find this cohesive guide a valuable source of information about farmstead dairy production and processing.

Topics include:
• Cheesemaking
• Ice cream
• Dairy processing
• Dairy animals
• Business and marketing
• Butter
• Other dairy foods
• Food safety
• Feeds & grazing

“This book will save you hours of searching and direct you to books you may have never found otherwise. It is an investment you will turn to time and time again.” — Paul Hamby Dairy equipment dealer/Alpine dairy goat producer Weatherby, Mo.

See All Publications

5,415 posted on 03/22/2009 7:16:50 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)

http://www.sare.org/publications/bulletins.htm

Publications

Featured Releases
SARE 20/20 cover
SARE 20/20

Clean Energy Farming cover
Clean Energy
Farming

Marketing Strategies cover
Marketing Strategies
for Farmers and
Ranchers

Bulletins from SARE
The content of SARE bulletins (8-32 pp) are informed by SARE research. They expand on the latest agricultural trends and link to other, more detailed information sources. Bulletins and SARE Highlights are available in quantity for educators at no cost.

energy bulletin cover

Clean Energy Farming: Cutting Costs, Improving Efficiencies, Harnessing Renewables
20 pp; published in 2008; free
Format: Print
Description | How to Order | Online HTML | Online PDF (2192 k)

Diversifying Cropping Systems cover image

Diversifying Cropping Systems
20 pp; published in 2004; free
Format: Print
Description | How to Order | Online HTML | Online PDF (341 k)

Estrategias Economico-Ambientales en la Crianza de Cerdos imagen de la tapa

Estrategias Economico-Ambientales en la Crianza de Cerdos
20pp; publicado en 2003; gratis
Formato: Impreso
Descripción | Como ordenar | Online HTML | Online PDF (437 k)

Exploring Sustainability in Agriculture cover image

Exploring Sustainability in Agriculture
16 pp; published in 2003; free
Format: Print
Description | How to Order | Online HTML | Online PDF (711 k)

How to Conduct Research on Your Farm or Ranch cover image

How to Conduct Research on Your Farm or Ranch
12 pp; published in 2004; free
Format: Print
Description | How to Order | Online HTML | Online PDF (413 k)

Marketing Strategies for Farmers and Ranchers cover image

Marketing Strategies for Farmers and Ranchers
20 pp; published in 2004; free
Format: Print
Description | How to Order | Online HTML | Online PDF (1437 k)

Meeting the Diverse Needs of Limited-Resource Producers: An Educator’s Guide cover image

Meeting the Diverse Needs of Limited-Resource Producers: An Educator’s Guide
16 pp; published in 2004; free
Format: Print
Description | How to Order | Online HTML | Online PDF (459 k)

Profitable Pork: Strategies for Hog Producers cover image

Profitable Pork: Strategies for Hog Producers
16 pp; published in 2003; free
Format: Print
Description | How to Order | Online HTML | Online PDF (1127 k)

Profitable Poultry: Raising Birds on Pasture
16 pp; published in 2006; free
Format: Print
Description | How to Order | Online HTML | Online PDF (554 k)

bulletin cover

Rangeland Management Strategies
16 pp; published in 2007; free
Format: Print
Description | How to Order | Online HTML | Online PDF (1.14 mb)

SARE 20/20 Cover image

SARE 20/20: Celebrating Our First 20 Years, Envisioning the Next
12-20 pp; published annually; free
Format: Print
Description | How to Order |Online HTML | Online PDF

Smart Water Use on Your Farm or Ranch cover image

Smart Water Use on Your Farm or Ranch
16 pp; published in 2006; free
Format: Print
Description | How to Order | Online HTML | Online PDF (1032 k)

Transitioning to Organic Production cover image

Transitioning to Organic Production
32 pp; published in 2003; free
Format: Print
Description | How to Order | Online HTML | Online PDF (1252 k)

A Whole-Farm Approach to Managing Pests cover image

A Whole-Farm Approach to Managing Pests
20 pp; published in 2003; free
Format: Print
Description | How to Order | Online HTML | Online PDF (1238 k)

SARE Logo Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)

5,416 posted on 03/22/2009 7:19:47 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)

http://www.sharingsustainablesolutions.org/?p=783

Homegrown Incense From the Garden

Enjoy your own white sage and sweetgrass. -

By Brook Elliott

Incense. Right now it’s riding a crest of popularity. Numerous plant materials have been used as incense because of their fragrances, but two native plants stand out: sweetgrass (Hierochloe odorata) and white sage (Salvia apiana).

Richo Cech of Horizon Herbs in Williams, Ore., describes the smell of sweetgrass as “vanillalike or new-mown haylike,” and attributes the scent to the plant’s coumarin content. White sage, he says, is penetrating, spicy, camphoraceous — and slightly skunky.

As an incense, white sage is burned to purify people and places, and its use sometimes is accompanied by prayer. Loose leaves often are burned, and a traditional ritual method for smudging the body calls for spreading the smoke by “brushing” it with a feather or bird wing. An alternative is to bind several stems together into a smudge stick. Either way, the leaves smolder, rather than burn with an open flame.

Due to growing demand, commercial development in both plants’ native habitats and improper management of remaining wild stands, white sage and sweetgrass are both in trouble.

“The biggest stands of wild sweetgrass are in Canada where most of the commercial dried braids come from, but wildcrafting is hurting them,” says Craig Dremann, owner of Redwood City Seeds in Redwood City, Calif. “Dried sweetgrass leaves contain very important soil nutrients. The phosphorus and other minerals removed with the harvested leaves are not being replenished, and, I believe, the subsequent diminished soil fertility is causing stands to decline.”

The situation for white sage is bad, too. The plant is native to just a small strip of coastal Southern California, where development is intense. The sustainability of wild populations of white sage may be adversely affected by development, overharvesting and unfavorable weather, although the plant is a tough contender in drylands and in rough, unsettled country.

Fortunately, both sweetgrass and white sage can be easily grown at home, and Cech says, in the garden each contributes a beautiful and cleansing presence. By growing them, you can provide for your own incense needs and perhaps have enough to sell. A thriving market exists for sweetgrass braids and white sage smudge sticks and dried leaves. Local farmer’s markets and the Internet are primary outlets; they also sell well in bookstores, galleries, jewelry stores and souvenir shops.

Growing Sweetgrass

Sweetgrass grows wild in the northern regions of North America and Europe. Because most sweetgrass seed is infertile, stands are started from root plugs, available from various suppliers.

Cech, who also is the author of Making Plant Medicine and Growing At-Risk Medicinal Herbs, says, “Actually, fertile seed is sometimes available, but empty seedcoats are common and, even when germplasm is present, it is loaded with germination inhibiting compounds.” So the plant is more easily grown using other methods.

Plugs should be planted in potting soil using shallow, wide plastic pots, and kept in the shade for a couple of weeks to develop new roots, according to both Dremann and Cech. Young plants can be grown in the pots until they fill out; then they should be transplanted into the garden, spaced about a foot apart. Do not use clay or peat pots; in both containers, the roots can dry out too quickly.

Sweetgrass prefers rich, moist, slightly sandy soil and full sun. It’s important to keep it constantly moist, but not soggy. Dremann says the plant is a heavy feeder, so fertilize it at least twice during the growing season with blood meal and bone meal for best results.

There are two types of stems: stout ones, which flower from June to August, and lanky, non-flowering stems. Traditionally, both are harvested for braids by pulling them out of the base sheath: Support the base of the plant with one hand while pulling the longer blades out of the basal sheath. This way the roots are undisturbed, which allows the plant to regrow, and leaves the blades at maximum length for braiding.

Lay out the cut stems in the sun to dry in batches no more than an inch thick. Periodically, turn the stems so they dry evenly, and when they’re almost dry, braid them. The braids add a rich vanilla aroma to their surroundings, and generally are kept as is, rather than being burned.

Growing White Sage

Also known as Grandfather sage and bee sage, white sage is considered a sacred plant by many Native American tribes. It burns with a penetrating, slightly skunky pungency, Cech says.

A perennial that grows 2 to 5 feet high, white sage has gray-green young leaves that turn a dramatic white as they mature. The flowers, which bloom during the summer, are silvery white with a lavender tinge. The seed has a natural low germination rate — about 15 percent — so if you decide to try seed, sow it in very sandy soil or a commercial cactus mix, and water daily; average germination time is 14 days.

White sage is cold-hardy only as far north as Zone 8b (15 degrees); outside of Southern California, Arizona and New Mexico, it should be cultivated as an annual or brought indoors for the winter. Repot seedlings into ceramic pots, using the same cactus/soil mix, and move them to the garden, or transplant them, about 2 feet apart, to a dry, sunny area. Good drainage is essential; most sages do not like wet feet and white sage won’t tolerate it at all.

Plant Sources

Horizon Herbs
P.O. Box 69
Williams, OR 97544
(541) 846-6704
www.horizonherbs.com

Redwood City Seed Co.
(sweetgrass only)
P.O. Box 361
Redwood City, CA 94064
(650) 325-7333
www.ecoseeds.com/sweetgrass.html

5,417 posted on 03/22/2009 7:31:39 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1257.html

Intensive Organic Gardening
HYG-1257-02

Travis Beck, Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, The Ohio State University

Martin F. Quigley, Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, The Ohio State University

Intensive organic gardening offers a means to produce large quantities of fresh vegetables in a small area without the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. It is an excellent gardening method for city dwellers who have limited yard space and who do not wish to expose themselves, their children, or their pets to potentially dangerous chemicals. It is also well-suited to small market garden operations.
Why garden organically?

Many people choose to garden organically because of concerns about the use of synthetic chemicals on their food. In addition to having possible health effects, these chemicals can affect the environment on farms and in neighboring areas through disruption of beneficial insect populations and through groundwater contamination. Fresh food grown locally may also have higher nutritional value than food shipped long distances.
History

Intensive organic gardening has its roots in the French market gardens of the 19th century. Parisian gardeners at this time were able to grow over 100 pounds of produce annually for every person in the city. They achieved this remarkable productivity through the use of raised beds (up to 18 inches in height) built with horse manure, which was abundant at the time, close plant spacing, and the use of glass cloches to allow for growth even in the winter. These techniques were brought to the United States by Alan Chadwick in the 1930s, and have continued to be refined and promoted by John Jeavons. Simultaneously, J. I. Rodale began demonstrating organic practices on his Pennsylvania farm. Rodale emphasized the creation of healthy soil through the use of organic amendments. The Rodale Institute now promotes the same philosophy of soil management for small gardens as well as farms, and Rodale Press has published much literature on organic gardening.

continues, a nice article...

5,418 posted on 03/22/2009 7:45:05 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)

http://www.sharingsustainablesolutions.org/?p=682

55 Unique Sewing And Craft Secrets

Posted By auke On March 22, 2009 @ 1:59 pm In Miscellaneous | No Comments

1. To Open that Stuck Zipper: Rub the teeth with a bar of soap or
spray with shaving cream.
2. An Ideal Pin Cushion: Use a bar of soap. Makes sewing easier
and needle just slides through hard material.
3. To unwrinkle Plastic Materials: Heat ironing board with iron,
lay material on board, then smooth with hands.
4. Neat and Easy Needle Threading: Dip tip of needle in clear
nail polish and let dry.
5. How to Remove Scorches: Wet scorched area and cover with
cornstarch, then brush off when dry.
6. Lengthen Life of Wooden Clothes Pins: Boil them in a salt
solution.
7. A Neat String Dispenser: Nail a funnel to the wall and pull
string out of bottom of funnel.
8. Tips on Storing Plastic Curtains: Sprinkle talcum powder
between the layers as you go.
9. Basting Made Easy: Just tape then sew around the pieces of
tape.
10. How to Revive Old Clothing: Shave those fluffs off with a
safety razor.
11. Make an Emergency Clothes Brush: Wrap a piece of tape around
the hand, sticky side out.
12. Stop Clothes Catching on Wooden Hangers: Put a coat of clear
nail polish over splinters and rough edges.
13. A Needle Sharpening Pin Cushion: Use steel wool to fill your
cushion.
14. Quick Needle Sharpening Trick: Rub needle against an emery
board.
15. Make a Good Yarn Preserver: Wrap yarn around a moth ball for
storage.
16. Handy Tip for Cutting Fur: Use a razor blade on back of fur
when cutting and you will not cut any hair.
17. Tips on Sewing Slippery Material: Stick a piece of waxed paper
in seam, pull away when finished.
18. Easy Pickup of Needle Spills: Use a small magnet.
19. Excellent Knitting Tip: Keep ball of yarn in nylon stocking -
will flow out free of tangles.
20. How to Get Rid of Shiny Pants: Make a solution of one part
vinegar to four parts water. Soak a cloth in solution, wring
out, place over pants and press lightly.
21. When You Need Heavy Duty Thread: Use dental floss.
22. Make a Handy Tape Measure Holder: Wind tape around an old
adhesive tape spool.
23. Prevent Nylon from Yellowing: Add baking soda to your wash
and rinse water.
24. Make a Perfect Sock Darner: Pull socks over a light bulb -
makes it easier.
25. Restore Velvet Like New: Brush good, then hang in a steamy
bathroom.
26. How to Get Rid of Knots on Sweaters: Rub lightly with a piece
of sandpaper.
27. How to Remove Lint from Wool: Use a damp sponge and touch
lightly.
28. Caring for Leather: Brush with skim milk every three months.
29. Repair Scuffed Patent Leather: Cover with same color polish,
let dry; then cover with clear nail polish.
30. Repair Cracking Patent Leather: Before each wearing, rub
briskly with your hand, then a soft cloth.
31. How to Soften Leather Shoes: Sponge with black coffee.
32. Create Rainbow Colors for Bottles and Vases: Use floating art
colors available from most paint stores. Take a pail and fill
it with water, then put a few drops of several different art
colors on top of water. You can now take any article you wish
and dip down through the colors slowly back and forth. Great
for decorating above items, tye-dye shirts, etc.
33. To Protect Your Sewing Bag: Stick the point of your closed
scissors into a cork.
34. Neat Pin and Needle Container: Save those stick deodorant
containers. They work great!
35. Renew those Worn Out Blankets: Sew cloth on both sides and
you have a new quilt.
36. To Ensure the Sections of Material Cut from a Pattern are
Accurate: First press the sections before laying them to be cut.
37. Breath Life into Those Worn Lingerie Items: Machine stitch
over small breaks.
38. Keep Needles Rust Free: Stick them straight into a bar of soap.
39. Money Making Craft Business You Can Start Today with Low
Overhead: Try making seat cushions. In many cases you will be
able to beat the high prices charged in stores. Try selling for
50% less.
40. Eliminate the Old Hemline in Your Wool Clothes: When lowering,
sponge with vinegar, then press.
41. Save Repair Bills on Your Sewing Machine: Try oiling and
delinting first before sending out for costly repairs.
42. Handy Substitute for Hemline Chalk: A bar of soap works fine.
43. Prevent Your Thread from Knotting when Basting: Tie a knot in
the thread before snipping off.
44. Remove Stains from Suede: First rub with a emery board, then
leave in a steamy shower or apply light steam from your iron.
45. Remove Grease From Valuable Silks: Rub in baby powder and let
stand several days, then brush out. Powder should absorb the
grease.
46. Tip on Ironing Ruffles: Always iron these on the wrong side
and from the edge in.
47. Handy Tip for Ironing Skirt Hems: Always make sure hems are
fully dry. Iron from bottom to top, not side to side. Iron
with the grain of the fabric.
48. To Iron Embroidered Items: Lay right side down on a terry
cloth and press out.
49. Don’t Pop Your Button: Cover them with a spoon while ironing.
50. Ironing Seer Sucker: If you ever have to do so, on the wrong
side only.
51. Fast Easy Way to Remove Lint: Put your garment on the fluff
cycle in dryer for a few moments.
52. Handy Tip for Filling Steam Irons: Your old squeeze bottles
work great!
53. Quickie Iron Tip: Place Reynolds Wrap under the ironing board
cover. Heats up faster and cuts your time in half.
54. Patchwork Tip: Before your sew a patch on any washable
garment, be sure to wash the patch once to avoid shrinkage.
55. Cool Folding Tip: After ironing, be sure to let the garments
cool completely before storing.

Article printed from Sharing Sustainable Solutions: http://www.sharingsustainablesolutions.org

URL to article: http://www.sharingsustainablesolutions.org/?p=682

5,419 posted on 03/22/2009 7:54:01 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)

[Fantastic Organic Greenhouse Growing guide, all methods]

http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/ghveg.html

[a tiny snippet]

Soilless Culture

Soilless culture methods usually have higher yields than ground culture systems. Another advantage of a soilless system is easier control of disease problems. In the soilless techniques described below, the media can be disposed of after one crop has been grown, or it can be pasteurized relatively easily.

Bag Culture

In bag culture, plants are grown in a soilless medium contained in lay-flat or upright polyethylene bags (2-5 gallons in size) and fed with liquid fertilizers through drip irrigation lines. Media can be peat/vermiculite, sawdust, rockwool, rice hulls, pine bark, peanut hulls, or mixes of any of those. Bag culture is adaptable to both aggregate hydroponics fed with liquid fertilizers as well as standard soilless culture, in which the bulk of fertility is supplied via compost-based potting mixes.
Bag culture has become the preferred method of greenhouse vegetable production in many parts of the U.S. because it is easy to establish and manage successfully.

Upright bags should be purchased at greenhouse supply houses, since household garbage bags are usually not strong enough. Upright bags usually contain one plant per bag. Lay-flat bags are closed and are made of 4-mil, UV-protected polyethylene. Lay-flat bags often have two or three plants per bag. Bags are most often placed in double rows in the greenhouse.

Bag culture is well suited to the production of upright and vining crops like tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers. Bag culture has become the preferred method of greenhouse vegetable production in many parts of the U.S. because it is easy to establish and manage successfully. One problem with bag culture is the potential for excess fertilizer solution to leach out of the drainage holes in the bags and into the greenhouse soil.

Adapting bag culture to standard soilless production in a certified organic greenhouse operation requires specially formulated organic potting mixes. An organic potting mix should not include any synthetic fertilizers or wetting agents. Growers can purchase certified organic potting mixes from a commercial supplier, or mix their own. Organic bag cultured vegetables may include a combination of incorporated, topdressed, liquid-fed, and foliar-fed fertilization systems. See ATTRA’s Potting Mixes for Certified Organic Production publication for a summary of media and fertilizers that can be used in organic production systems; this publication includes recipes for organic potting mixes collected from the alternative agriculture literature and interviews with organic farmers.

Adapting bag culture to soluble hydroponics or bioponics requires special hydroponic formulas and ingredients.

Vertical Towers

A form of bag culture is the vertical tower. Long bags full of media are hung from support wires or beams, and plants are placed in slits or holes made on the sides of the bag. The appeal of this system is the very efficient use of greenhouse space; since the plants are using vertical space, very little floor space is needed.

The most popular vertical tower is a patented system called Verti-Gro. Verti-Gro uses square, styrofoam pots, which are stacked 8-10 pots high and can be re-used for 5-10 years. Tim Carpenter, who owns the company, recommends using perlite and coir (coconut fiber) for media. Fertilizer is supplied by a drip irrigation system, in which solution flows from the topmost to the bottom box and into a gravel support base, where it can be captured and re-used. Crops that have been grown with this system include lettuces, strawberries, herbs, tomatoes, greens, spinach, nasturtium, and cut flowers. For more information on this system, contact:

Verti-Gro, Inc.
720 Griffin Rd.
Lady Lake, FL 32159
800-955-6757
352-750-4202

Straw Bale Culture

Straw bale culture was an important method of greenhouse cucumber production in Europe and Canada prior to the development of rockwool and NFT hydroponics. Bale culture can be especially useful as a method to avoid soils contaminated with diseases or in greenhouses with concrete or gravel floors. Based on limited experience in Canada in adapting straw bale culture to organics, this method appears to have merit where one of the aforementioned conditions exists.

In bale culture, the greenhouse floor can be concrete or lined with plastic or fabric mulch, and bales are laid out in rows. Bales are pre-wetted with manure tea, which initiates decomposition and causes the bales to heat up. On the average, about 7 gallons of water are required for a normal 50 lb. bale. When the temperature of the bales cools down to below 110° F, they are capped with six inches of a compost-based potting mix to accommodate the root balls of the transplants. Normally, planting would take place on about the eleventh day.

Fertilizers topdressed to the bales include dry bone meal, sul-po-mag, and an organic nitrogen source. Manure tea, seaweed, and fish-seaweed blends are used as liquid fertilizers. As the bales continue to ferment and decompose, heat and carbon dioxide are generated and these byproducts promote plant growth by warming the roots and enriching the greenhouse atmosphere.

In considering straw bale culture, the cost of the bales and topcapping compared with costs of a comparable production system such as bag culture, will need to be weighed. Also, in organic culture, a major factor would be the availability of certified organic straw. Herbicide residues in straw can cause serious injury to greenhouse crops.

Canadian studies conducted in the 1960s and 1970s showed that:

* Spring-grown cucumbers grown on straw bales yielded an average of 21% more fruit than soil-grown plants, although fall-sown plants did not have a yield increase.
* Wheat straw bales provided the best results, followed by clover straw. Timothy/alfalfa hay bales gave poor results.
* Using half a bale per plant caused no significant loss in yield.
* Using a plastic sheet under the bales caused a 9% reduction in yield.
* There is little or no difference in yield between bales placed on the soil surface and those buried or half-buried in a trench.
* Growing in straw bales was economically feasible for spring-sown plants. (16)

Missouri farmer Eric Hemple raises organic arugula, squash, green beans, onions, eggplant, tomatoes, and cucumbers using the straw bale method. A neighbor provides organic straw bales at a price of $3 each. Hemple places the bales between two sheets of corrugated tin braced with stakes to create a more uniform growing surface. He uses a sterile potting mix as his capping medium and bone meal, blood meal, fish emulsion, and rock phosphate as his fertilizers. Hemple uses a drip irrigation system and warns that careful attention to watering is essential, as are proper nutrient levels. He sells all his products at retail and estimates that he is receiving a gross return of 50 cents per square foot of bale space per week. (17)

Shallow Bed Culture

Shallow bed culture, also known as thin layer culture, is the production of sprouts or herbaceous herbs and vegetables in a thin layer–1 to 3 inches in depth–of potting mix or compost laid on top of plastic mulch or woven weed barrier. Herbaceous crops adapted to shallow bed culture include specialty lettuces, greens, cresses, and selected culinary herbs.

At least one commercial sprout grower in California uses this method in the production of organic wheat grass, sunflower, and buckwheat sprouts. Root-zone heating tubes are laid underneath the plastic to provide bottom heat. In turn, they rest on top of polystyrene panels laid directly over the greenhouse soil. Gas-fired water heaters are used to heat the water, but such a system could easily be retrofitted to solar collectors located outside the greenhouse. Narrow boards are laid out every three feet to walk up and down between the beds to seed, water, and harvest.

Jay Fulbright, a commercial lettuce and specialty greens grower in Arkansas, has three growing systems. In the first, he amends his soil with compost and pelletized chicken litter and plants directly into the ground. In the second system, he uses tables made of 2x8 lumber and places 3½” of compost onto 2x4 welded wire mesh, covered with perforated plastic to allow for drainage. All the greens are hand-harvested using this system. The third method involves placing 4” of compost and chicken litter directly onto polypropylene sheets laid on the ground. Jay devised the third method in order to cut down on labor; he hopes to be able to use a salad harvester. He is now harvesting an average of 300 pounds of lettuce per week, which he sells to restaurants and specialty groceries.

Education Concerns for Hunger Organization (ECHO), a nonprofit organization that works in agriculture development, is promoting the shallow bed method as a technique for rooftop gardening in urban settings. The beds they describe are deeper-3 to 6 inches in depth-and are more typical of standard trough culture using a soilless mix. They’ve achieved good success raising a variety of vegetable crops using locally available materials such as leaf mold and compost.

ECHO has published several reports on shallow bed culture and low-tech hydroponics. For more information, contact them at:

Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization (ECHO)
17391 Durrance Rd.
North Ft. Myers, FL 33917
941-543-3246

In hydroponics, plants are grown in a soilless medium and fed with fertilizer nutrients dissolved in solution. There are two broad categories of hydroponics: liquid hydroponics and aggregate hydroponics.

Liquid systems feature the nutrient film technique (NFT), aeroponics, floating raft, and noncirculating water culture. Aggregate systems include inert, organic, and mixed media contained in bag, trough, trench, and bench setups.

Liquid systems like NFT are often managed as closed, or recirculating systems. Aggregate systems are commonly managed as open, or flood and drain fertigation systems.

There are three basic approaches to organic hydroponic vegetable production: a) soluble organics, also known as hydro-organics, b) integration of hydroponics with aquaculture, also known as aquaponics, and c) bioponics.

Hydro-organics is based on hydroponic solutions derived from organic fertilizers like fish meal, spray-dried blood, and guano. Aquaponics is based on recirculating aquaculture in which irrigation effluent from fish tanks is used to fertigate sand or gravel cultured hydroponic vegetables. For more information, see the ATTRA publication Aquaponics. Bioponics, or “living hydroponics,” is based on inoculating the hydroponic medium with microorganisms.
The greenhouse vegetable business is competitive.

The key difference between organic and chemical hydroponics is the source of fertility and presence of microorganisms. Microbes are essential to organic systems because they help regulate pH and availability of nutrients. In addition, bioponic researchers claim that enzymes produced by the microbes interact with plant roots and stimulate biochemical processes in the plants which enhance the flavor of bioponic produce.

Variety or cultivar selection plays an important role in greenhouse vegetable production. Cultivars often originate in greenhouse breeding programs where selection is based on disease resistance and ability to perform under greenhouse climatic conditions. Greenhouse seed vendors and the Cooperative Extension Service can recommend appropriate cultivars. Seed suppliers are listed in the Seed Sources section below. See the ATTRA series of publications on specific greenhouse crops for other recommendations.

Economics of Greenhouse Vegetable Production:

5,420 posted on 03/22/2009 8:04:58 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)

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